INTRODUCTION

Sturt attracts both Australian and international craftspeople each year to participate in the Artist-in-Residence program. Artists with a particular skill, or with many years experience in a specialised area, are invited to work at Sturt for two to three months. During this time, the artist is asked to explore new work, teach students for a variety of courses, present a public lecture, exhibit finished pieces at Sturt Gallery or make a work for the Sturt Permanent Collection.

The residency program injects fresh energy and new ideas into established studios and practices for permanent craftspeople at Sturt. Knowledge exchange can occur formally – in the class room – or informally – through casual interaction in the studio or at public events. For the artist, the Residency provides a valuable period of time, free from constraints of family, routines and commitments to stimulate a period of experimentation and reflection, invaluable for all creative endeavours.

From 1999 - 2010, 39 residencies have occurred at Sturt. The significance of these visits is evident in the growth of activity in all the Sturt studios.  Sturt Gallery has experienced increased sales with many important exhibitions resulting from residencies. The School for Wood has benefited from a wider range of courses with guest tutors as well as visiting artists expanding our capabilities. Term classes and weekend courses are expanding in all core areas plus popular activities such as basketry and Photoshop.

Sturt offers artists in residence a unique environment in which to live, work and teach. Consequently our program has become one of the largest craft-based residency programs in Australia.